Category Archives: Tourism

Environment, Government, Local News, Tourism

Baguio City Officials Mull Over Converting Burnham Lake Into An Ice Skating Rink

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Frozen Chicago River, left, and Baguio City’s Burnham Lake, right

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Baguio Bureau) –  The Chicago River in Illinois, U.S.A. literally froze this week as temperatures dipped below zero degrees.

This gave the ever-efficient city officials of Baguio City led by Mayor Mauricio Domogan a brilliant idea: to convert the murky Burnham Lake in this Philippine summer capital into an ice skating rink.

Baguio’s own temperature dipped to 9 degrees this week, sending chills to both residents and visitors who are in town for the opening of the month-long Panagbenga Festival.

The conversion plan involves dredging the man-made lake, refilling it with salt water and installing an underground ice maker.

Many ice skating enthusiasts were elated over the plan, but others, including operators of rental paddle boats in the lake were not happy.

Domogan said the conversion is part of the city government’s overall plan to rehabilitate the city which could eventually lose its tourism industry because of overcrowding, traffic and deterioration of natural parks.

We may soon see the next Filipino Olympic skating champion among our Baguio youth!

Beauty, Government, International, Media, Tourism

Tourism Department To Use Coco Martin’s Emperador TV Commercial To Promote The Philippines

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MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – Each year, the Department of Tourism (DOT) spends big bucks to create international campaigns to promote Philippine tourism.

Past campaigns promoted internationally-recognized tourist spots like the Banaue Rice Terraces, Palawan’s Underground River, Bohol’s Chocolate Hills, Albay’s Mayon Volcano, and the miles and miles of white sand beaches all over the islands.

This year, DOT has decided to promote the country’s people — beautiful people.  And it is not going to cost taxpayers a single centavo.

Instead of producing expensive commercials to show on international TV, DOT will use the latest Emperador TV commercial featuring actor Coco Martin.

In this commercial, Martin sings his way through the 30-minute video, surrounded by all good-looking Filipinos — from his friends to traffic police to jeepney drivers to road construction workers.

The message behind the commercial: Philippines is the land of (all) beautiful people.

In a way, the people are among the country’s greatest natural resources.

 

Government, Language, Law Enforcement, Politics, Social Media, Tourism

Duterte Orders Closure And Rehabilitation Of Baguio City Hall

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FEC6BFAE-FCD6-4EBE-A3B1-045B8A618E5C.jpegMANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has changed his mind about closing down and rehabilitating Baguio City. He had wanted to rehabilitate the Summer Capital of the Philippines like he did with the resort island of Boracay.

Instead, Duterte has ordered the closure and rehabilitation of Baguio City Hall.

Duterte’s new order came just hours after Mayor Mauricio Dumogan signed a new Ordinance authored by Councilor Lilia Fariñas prohibiting the use of profanities in schools and universities as well as business establishments catering to minors like computer shops and arcades.

Duterte, known for using profanities, told The Adobo Chronicles that Baguio’s government had better things to do than ban profanities, considering the deterioration of the city’s living conditions — from overpopulation to nightmarish traffic to illegal constructions and environmental issues.